The Heroes Fall -1- When War Calls

  Chapter Seventeen

  They do not kill or maim, they deceive to use another’s name.

  January 23, 997 R.E.

  In the crisp hours of dawn, a lone man strode across the dew-coated grass. All was quiet, the silence broken only by the occasional song of a nearby bird, or a slight breath of wind rustling the leaves above. The lone man approached the two fallen men in the clearing, studying the bullet wounds of the first, making sure he was deceased, before making his way to the one dressed in the same uniform as he wore himself. There were no bullet wounds on this man’s body, only an injury to his right ear that was now encrusted in dark dried blood. The lone man kicked the foot, trying to wake him. After several more kicks, there was movement. The man on the ground stirred, his head tilting from left to right before his eyes opened. After a moment he seemed to recall where he was.

  ‘Failure to report sighting, loss of target, awareness given to enemy—the Alliance does not look favourably upon such things,’ said the lone man with a wolfish grin, revealing two missing teeth on the left side. He straightened his gloves as he spoke with casual authority and then withdrew a gun from his pocket.

  The man on the ground looked up in terror and tried to jump forward to tackle his accuser, but collapsed before he had made it, a single shot to the head causing him to fall lifeless onto the ground at the other man’s feet.

  Calmly, the lone man took out a black communicator and spoke slowly into it. ‘General Scout Infantry Nineteen reporting; target’s tracks located moving northeast to Corsec, accompanied by three or more.’

  ‘Do you have visual?’

  ‘Negative. Target has moved before morning. GSI17 has been deceased for twelve hours.’

  There was a slight pause on the communicator as the information was taken in. ‘Acknowledged. Proceed as planned.’

  ‘Received,’ said the scout, and continued in the direction the tracks led him.

  Kobin Guyde was standing on the fort’s wall in Callibra when the soldier approached him.

  ‘Sir.’

  Kobin looked over his shoulder.

  ‘We have word from GSI19, he has located the target.’

  ‘Is he alone?’

  ‘No, sir. He travels with at least three others.’

  Kobin said nothing, gathering his thoughts. Jaden was still alive, and now several others accompanied him. They could have been survivors from the village, others who had made it out, but so far into the wilderness, the chances of meeting with them would have been slim. It was more likely he had met with the Daijuar, a travelling band perhaps. The Daijuar must have travelled together, in small groups, with more than Kobin had expected. He had assumed they would travel in pairs, but now it seemed they were in threes or even fours. More interesting was that between here and a few days’ travel north on foot, there had been Daijuar. They must have had a place of hiding in this land. There was hope. He could yet deliver what he had promised. The search would go on.

  He would need help from the Alliance to make his search easier. It would take years, if not decades alone. But he would need authorisation from General Alkon Zaccarah first, and it would be no easy task to get it. The general wanted Jaden dead. To use Jaden travelling with the Daijuar as reason for a search would be signing over his life, and even then, there was no guarantee the general would permit using his equipment to locate the Daijuarn lair. Jaden’s existence had to remain secret.

  ‘Good. Tell no one of this,’ said Kobin. ‘Continue the updates.’

  ‘Yes, sir,’ said the soldier, saluting as he hurried back to his post.

  Kobin walked down the ramp slowly, contemplating what could be said for the general to permit him access to what he needed. He would first have to speak with Lieutenant-General Liet Revarn, who was overseeing a morning training routine for thirty soldiers. Upon seeing his approach, Liet nodded to the man next to him to take over and began walking to where Kobin stood at the side.

  ‘Have you decided to become a soldier?’ Liet asked dryly, making sure he kept his eyes away from Kobin’s and on the group ahead, for fear that he might become weak under his gaze once more.

  ‘I would not waste my talents,’ said Kobin.

  ‘Then what brings you here?’

  ‘I have had word of the Callibrian boy. He travels with the Daijuar.’

  ‘What does this mean?’

  ‘I need authorisation to search for where the Daijuar came from. I believe they have hidden themselves close, in small cities underground, or they have learnt to breathe under water. I am not certain, but at last I know that they are here. I need to be able to search the dams and forests from the skies, and then I may need other equipment.’

  ‘You will need to speak with a higher authority. I do not possess the rank to give you permission.’

  Kobin closed his eyes to hide that he was rolling them back into his head. ‘You state the obvious far too often,’ he said in a low growl. ‘What I wish to ask is what you have learned of his thoughts.’

  Liet moved his feet awkwardly, keeping the anxiety of speaking with Kobin at bay. He did his best to speak in the same tone, to hide the discomfort he felt. ‘There is nothing new,’ he said, scanning over the soldiers ahead to further take his mind away from the conversation. ‘He does not trust you and suggests I continue keeping watch on your movements, but that is all.’

  ‘What chance is there that he will agree?’

  Liet paused. ‘It would surprise me if there were a chance at all.’

  ‘That will not do.’

  ‘A failure in your plan?’ asked Liet.

  ‘My plans do not fail,’ Kobin shot back angrily.

  Liet felt a shiver pass through him at what he wished to say next. He almost wanted to say nothing, to simply allow the moment to pass and be done with it. But he could not accept his weakness under this man’s false authority. He had to fight it at whatever opportunity arose. He had to return to his previous greatness.

  ‘Then perhaps you can explain to me why your travel companion is dead,’ he said, and turned with eyes set in a cold stare, locking them with Kobin’s for the first time in a week, but this time, he would not cower or turn away.

  Kobin stared with utter hatred at the insult, but it was he who turned away first to look at the soldiers ahead. ‘An unexpected side effect, but the plan has not failed.’

  ‘I see,’ said Liet, now speaking with strength. ‘When you think of how you will obtain the means of finding the Daijuar, let me know.’

  ‘Your doubts are groundless. I will always find a way to prevail.’

  ‘Actions speak louder than words,’ said Liet distantly, pretending to lose interest.

  Kobin said nothing, deep in thought. He could see the change in Liet. The lieutenant-general was returning to his former self. Kobin had to conclude there was nothing he could do to redeem himself in this moment. The battle had been lost, for now. Liet had grown accustomed to him. If he were to regain his power, he would need a new approach, or perhaps there was no need for control any longer. Liet wished for power, just as he did. They were allies by common interest, no longer by fear born of need. He needed only to know that he could rely on Liet when the time was right, and until then, focus his efforts on how best to seize the power they desired.

  ‘Then I will go and speak with him now,’ said Kobin.

  ‘He is weary of your lack of formality,’ said Liet before Kobin could turn away. ‘You will need to address him as “General” from this point on.’

  ‘He is but a man.’

  ‘A man who has means that you need. Give him the respect he desires, your pride will be a small loss if you are to find these places.’

  Kobin glared for an instant, wishing to force Liet into submission once more, but calmed quickly. He could not afford such a display in front of so many Alliance soldiers. It could lead to his death. He had power to overcome one man, perhaps two, but not thirty or more. He also knew that Liet was right. He needed to remain focused on th
e ultimate goal. He could find other ways to infuriate the general. To now address him as thus would be a small cost.

  ‘I will keep that in mind,’ said Kobin, and moved away without saluting, leaving Liet to return to the drills of the soldiers.

  Kobin walked briskly toward Alkon’s quarters, playing out what he would say in his mind. If he could not use Jaden as a means of manipulation, he would need something else, some other sort of leverage. The High Council would certainly condone his efforts in increasing their chances of winning the war, but he would not use them yet. For them, he had other plans. To force Alkon into giving him what he wanted now without mentioning the High Council was going to be tricky. He had to make Alkon want what he wanted, to somehow make him believe he needed the Daijuarn technology beyond all else if he were going to achieve victory.

  ‘General,’ said Kobin, opening the door so quickly it slammed into the wall behind it, causing some pictures to rattle.

  Alkon looked up with dull eyes and a tired expression, as if he had been awake many days and did not have the energy to be startled.

  ‘When did a general’s quarters become property of the common intruder, without even a knock?’ he asked.

  ‘I do not know, General, perhaps when they learned that it was a waste of time.’

  Alkon shook his head wearily and then looked back down at the work in front of him. ‘What do you want, Callibrian?’

  ‘I have heard we are soon moving on to the city of Waikor. There is word that they are a city under Daijuarn protection.’

  ‘Your counsel is not needed,’ said Alkon, scribbling something down on some paper. ‘We have the means of taking care of the Daijuar; they are not a threat to us.’

  ‘But Waikor is powerful. While the Daijuar defend them, they will be able to inflict a fair amount of damage on your forces. They will attack from the ground, the sky and from their homes before you can counter. You must understand their technology is the most advanced in the world.’

  ‘I said your counsel is not needed, Callibrian,’ said Alkon, doing his best to hide his irritation. ‘Go about your business.’

  ‘I cannot unless you give permission. Your men now choose which of my orders they will respond to, as I am sure you are aware.’

  Alkon shrugged as he leaned back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. ‘Security has been tightened. We must find the breach that allowed us to be attacked. I have been forced to oversee all orders of significance. What do you request?’

  ‘I wish to search for the Daijuar. I have received word from one of your scouts that they are near. With their technology, I will make sure they never hinder the Alliance again.’

  Alkon leaned back even further and looked at the ceiling, his arms lowering to the rests on either side. ‘Denied,’ he said.

  ‘But, General, it could mean a faster end to the wars, something I know you yearn for.’

  ‘You know not of what I want, Callibrian. Do not attempt to use your mind games here as you have with the High Council, they will not work.’

  ‘Mind games?’ asked Kobin in surprise. ‘I know not of—’

  ‘Yes, always the fool,’ interrupted Alkon. ‘You are transparent, despite your belief. Be gone. I don’t want to see your face or hear your thoughts any longer. Return only with something of worth.’

  Kobin opened his mouth to protest, but thought better of it. There would be no persuading Alkon this day.

  ‘As you wish, General,’ he said in the politest tone he could manage, and then turned to make his way out.

  ‘Callibrian,’ called out Alkon before he had exited.

  ‘Yes, General?’

  ‘Knock on my door before entering.’

  Kobin forced himself to grin. ‘Understood, General.’

  After gently closing the door, Kobin stood idle for a moment before making his way back toward Liet. He wondered if he had underestimated Alkon, or if it was simply distrust of everyone that made him seem overly paranoid now. Kobin had covered his tracks in every possible way, and had played innocent whenever trouble arose. Alkon could not have been aware of his plans. If his plans were known, he would have been executed by now. There was only one conclusion; Alkon was making guesses and little more. However, this would not help in locating the Daijuar. In the coming weeks, he would need Alkon’s praise if he were to have the means of finding what he wanted. It would take hours of research and time devoted to ensuring the Alliance’s success, time he did not wish to waste, but then, there was always more than one way to achieve success.

  Kobin grinned as he neared the training soldiers, where he saw Liet studying him.

  ‘You have permission,’ said Liet.

  ‘No,’ said Kobin with almost a laugh. ‘But I may have found something better.’

  ‘Another failure made a success,’ concluded Liet.

  ‘Call it what you wish, it will lead to victory and nothing less.’

  ‘What will you do?’

  Kobin looked back to where he had come from and saw Alkon leaving his quarters to walk in the direction of the laboratory. By this he knew that the general had indeed been guessing, and now he wished to make sure he was prepared to face up against the Daijuar at Waikor. The general was putting on a show, an act to make him believe he was better informed than he really was. He had been working on plans for attacking Waikor when Kobin had entered, and now he had new information to work with. The general must have now been scared.

  When Alkon was out of sight, Kobin faced Liet again.

  ‘Your faith is lacking. I would tell you my plans, but actions are louder,’ he said mockingly, and without another word he walked away, following the same route that he had seen Alkon take.